Why is Tortorella not popular amongst fans?

[thebus88]

CBJ fan and Tortorella fan. Short answer is that people are idiots. God how I miss the Torts coached era CBJ team and how opposing teams/fans looked at them, and most importantly, HOW THEY PLAYED ON THE ICE.

People think scoring goals is more important and more “exciting” than not allowing the other team to score goals. Many fans literally prefer this over a “style” that is more effective at actually winning games.

Ken Hitchcock, while a different personality than Torts, is another perfect example when it comes to how he coaches.

 

[thebus88]

That said, as a CBJ fan that hates what the current team has turned into, essentially the complete opposite of when Torts was around, and the fact the team is on their 3rd head coach already since Torts left the team, and the selection of Babcock was pretty clearly to get another “demanding” coach in, I wonder what people think of the entire situation of him leaving the CBJ and joining PHI so soon after?

Many/most CBJ fans contest the idea that Torts was “fired” or that he was pressured out in any way. Many people might not realize this, but, he essentially stepped down from coaching the CBJ team. What this was quickly and easily perceived as, was that he needed or wanted time away from the game for an extended time for some reason or was actually looking to retire.

The fact that he came back so soon to coach another NHL team still fascinates me. No other CBJ fans want to talk about it and no media person has even really acknowledged it as far as I can tell. IMO it’s as if he “quit” on the players or management of the CBJ for some reason, and it’s never been talked about.

I’m interested if there’s been any other situations like this where a coach swapped teams for essentially “personal choice”, as that’s what it seems to me is what happened with Torts and the CBJ. Am I wrong for thinking there’s possibly something to worry about behind the scenes regarding how the team is built and/or plays the game?

 

[Score08]

I have a huge problem with anyone yelling at anybody, especially when they have any form of authority.

Tortorella seems to think yelling = motivating. I disagree.

Time to move on from the dinosaurs.

Holy hell this embarrassing.

 

[Voight]

Some people have this bullshit narrative that Torts is a huge arse hole and players hate playing for him, when infect its the opposite.

Players love to play for him, yea he can come across as a d-bag sometimes but overall from stories I've heard hes a great person in and outside of the rink.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

The dude can do his job. Flyers' roster is probably bottom 6 in the whole league, but the team's results are much better than this.

Because he's an asshole. Just "being good at his job" isn't enough. That sort of view is what allows abusers and toxic personalities to do more damage. Torts ain't a cancer like Babcock or Dutter but he should be put out to pasture.

 

[Look Up]

Because he's an asshole. Just "being good at his job" isn't enough. That sort of view is what allows abusers and toxic personalities to do more damage. Torts ain't a cancer like Babcock or Dutter but he should be put out to pasture.

User name checks out.

 

[HockeyVirus]

If Keefe was fired and he was available he would be my choice as a mid season replacement.

 

[TheBeard]

Torts, with a young squad, had a lead against the top team in the NHL and instead of letting them go out there and just go for it, he decided to put them in a defensive shell where... well we all know what happened.

I don't understand it.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

I like him, and he beat my team in the finals AND was the Canucks coach during the brawl game in 2014.

 

[thekernel]

As a Canucks fan he was the second worst coach I've experienced. Just completely checked out of his job. He wasn't "Iron Mike Burning Down Your Village" bad, but he did the organization dirty. I'm still mad Luongo didn't start our only outdoor game lol

I feel bad for Columbus fans because he represents their biggest success in over 20 years: one single playoff victory.

 

[krutovsdonut]

he's a solid smart coach who personally provides identity, leadership and motivation for his teams and also carries some weight for the players with the media as the centre of attention.

but he can be too much of all those things, and he can clash with star players lwith their own idea of how the team should be.

he also has a tendency to keep digging with players when he has found their limits and this can lead to some implosions.

as a canuck fan i feel first of all the way he acted in 2013 he must either have been lied to coming somehow, or else given a dumptruck of money to take a job he told them could not be done and did not want to do. he just was not engaged at all . but he still coached and exposed the limits of the stale team he took over. he tried to sustain it as a top tier team by overplaying the guys who were reachable or good enough to sustain a top tier game, but there were not enough of them on the roster and the whole thing just imploded.

 

[93gilmour93]

Torts is awesome. Doesn’t candy coat anything, speaks his mind and doesn’t care who likes it or not. Much respect….

 

[Frank Drebin]

Holy hell this embarrassing.

I think you mean

"HOLY HELL THIS IS EMBARASSING!!!"

 

[Team_Spirit]

Coaching game Hans Gruber

 

[tarheelhockey]

In the past I haven’t been overly impressed with his public persona, but I’m coming around on him as a coach. I think some of the abrasiveness likely gets exaggerated to create media drama. He doesn’t seem like a guy who continuously goes around ripping on players. Seems like it’s more that he brings a high level of intensity and roots out the guys who won’t rise to it, which creates occasional blowups by guys who got too comfortable. That’s not necessarily a sustainable leadership style, but it has its usefulness and especially in some of the situations he’s walked into, I can see why he keeps getting hired.

 

[Church Hill]

Holy hell this embarrassing.

Seriously. I'm surprised that his wrists were sturdy enough to type that comment.

 

[Channelcat]

Define "toxic". Babcock is toxic, Tortorella isn't.

Agreed. Tortorella seems like a solid guy. Some people are offended by that too though.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I love Torts

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Because he’s a loudmouth blowhard jackass and his schtick gets old fast??

Are you a heavy metal fan lol?

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

I think he’s an extremely effective and smart coach, and he’s highly entertaining to listen to him speak which I think he likes to do. But he is also a massive jackass

 

[BrendanGaunce4Selke]

he's a dinosaur

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Torts is a beauty and anyone who doesn't like him probably is a nevernude

 

[CraigBillington]

I love him even as a Canucks fan

Yea, things were weird when he was here.
I credit him for acknowledging that the team wasn't going to go anywhere (needed a rebuild), but you don't say that to the media while still coaching them.
Trying to get your top players to be blocking shots on the penalty kill was as dumb as it was dangerous. And while it was neat seeing a backup start the Heritage Classic, it definitely wasn't the right move to make.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Because he has a “shtick”.

when things are going well, he’s a tough, badass coach who gets respect from his players and the most out of the roster he is given.

When things go poorly, he looks like a know nothing, arrogant douche bag.

I know the tough guys in this thread (and everywhere else) really want to believe they are more masculine by simply saying “social media can’t deal with his no nonsense attitude” while they can. But the reason is far less self serving.

He has a big personality. When it’s working, it’s great. When it’s not, he sucks.

Everyone in New England loved Bill Belichick’s shtick with the media until he started losing and now he just looks like an idiot.

 

[Yukon Joe]

So tell me - I have this impression that Torts has mellowed throughout his career - that Coach Tortorella during his NYR days is a different man then during his CBJ days.

I mean he's still fundamentally the same guy, I'm sure he still runs really demanding practices, but that he's not such a colossal asshole to the media anymore, and has better rapport with his players. I saw Darryl Sutter's name mentioned before, but I don't think the comparison is fair any longer.

Or am I just being mislead - that because he was in Columbus instead of New York or Vancouver he just doesn't get the same media attention? But it's not like he's tried to barge into the opposition locker room for a long time now.